NEW YORK - Midfielder Pedro Morales became the first Vancouver Whitecaps player to win an individual end-of-the-year award on Wednesday when he was named the 2014 MLS Newcomer of the Year after his breakout season at BC Place.
Morales, 29, was the offensive catalyst for a Whitecaps team that made its second MLS postseason appearance in franchise history and won the Cascadia Cup for the second consecutive year. A dynamic playmaker who signed with the club as a Designated Player in March, Morales backed up his team’s investment with 10 goals and 12 assists, tops on the team in both categories this season.
A native of Chile, Morales also becomes the fourth consecutive South American player to win the Newcomer award, following in the footsteps of Argentine playmakers Diego Valeri (2013), Federico Higuain (2012) and current Whitecaps teammate Mauro Rosales (2011).
Morales beat out LA Galaxy midfielder Stefan Isihizaki and New England Revolution midfielder Jermaine Jones in the voting, with votes cast by current MLS players, club representatives and media members.
Morales scored two goals in the same game three times in 2014, but likely didn’t play a better game than a stellar performance against the Portland Timbers on June 1. He played a part in every Whitecaps goal of a 4-3 win over the rival Timbers at JELD-WEN Field, scoring twice from the penalty spot and adding a pair of assists in the win.
The Whitecaps eventually went on to edge out the Timbers by a single point for the fifth and final postseason spot in the Western Conference before they fell to FC Dallas in the Knockout Round.
Morales joined the Whitecaps after previously playing with Spanish side Malaga in 2013, but he also spent five years on the books with Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb after getting his professional start in his native Chile.
The only other Whitecaps players to be named a finalist for a year-ending award since the club joined MLS in 2011 are Darren Mattocks (third in Rookie of the Year in 2012) and Eric Hassli, who lost to Rosales for the Newcomer award during the team’s inaugural season.
MLS Newcomer of the Year Winners:
2014: Pedro Morales - Vancouver Whitecaps
2013: Diego Valeri – Portland Timbers
2012: Federico Higuaín – Columbus Crew
2011: Mauro Rosales – Seattle Sounders FC
2010: Álvaro Saborío – Real Salt Lake
2009: Fredy Montero – Seattle Sounders FC
2008: Darren Huckerby – San Jose Earthquakes
2007: Luciano Emilio – D.C. United
